Car construction



- o l Nav. 19, 1.40. Av Q SCHMOHL 2,222,046

CAR CONSTRUCTION I Filed July l5, 1939 Patented Nov. 19, 194() NITE-o As rArEs CAR CONSTRUCTION Alfred. C'. Schmohl,. Beaver Falls, Pa., assignor to Pressed Steel ACar Company, Inc., `Pittsburgh,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania.

: ApplicationJulylS, 1939,` Seri'aLNo...284,667

4 Claims.

My invention pertains toehighway andrail-vev--l-iicles 'having lading bodies, the side lwalls of which are formedof doors hinged-'adj acentthe floorthereof ianfd openingoutwardlyv and Adown- 515 Wardly to discharge lading. My invention pertanins-particularly to-a'combination stake and 4look Afor* retaining the'doors -inupright closed position and locking same against Jaccidental displacerement.

object-of the inventiontofprovide a co1- lapsibledoorlstake'which, when inoperative posi- .tion, retains the :door in closedfpositionand'sup- -portsesame from' the car-underframe.

A 'Another'object of the invention is to provide a .15 I'collapsiblestake which 4may beA readily released f from-'locked position -sol that thev door -Wi1l move *by gravity from Closed toppen position. Y

-Anothenobject `of the invention -is -to provide a combined door-stake and Vlook of the character .20 ldescribed---whichY may be-easily and safely operyateclg thereby avoidingaendangering the operator. YA further object `oftheinvention is to provide lthe-'combined -vstake1v and lock herein described with a safety device which yposit-ivelyprevents acf 25 cidental displacement iand which must lbe-re- -leased before releasing the'door lock.

Referring nowf the drawing forming part -of i this spec`iiicationfwherein Fig. .1 Ashows in-` elevation a portion `of fthe side 'of l-fa -vehicleI body v5.30#equipped With the invention; Fig. v2 Visa-.section taken along linesZ-'IZ ofFignl l, showing the coldap'siblestakeland lock'in position to retain the VVdoor in upright closed position; Y and FigJB; showling a.section throughl the car similar'to that-'il- ..j.35- lustrate'd in Fig. 2 but with thestake -incollapsed positionz the vvehicle body-comprises sida s'illsf I, Hafloor 2, and side walls formed of doors 3.piVotal ly Amounted adjacent the 'floor of thebodylon hinges-1.4. These doors 3rl maybe ofY any-suitable 40: constructionand of ywood -or steel.

11n the drawing the doors 3*arefillustrated as .comprising longitudinally disposed-wooden planks =vsecuredltogether by bracesli and having'the to-pandside edges bound by metalstrips'l and# 8, 41545 respectively. :Aside wall of. the car may comprise one zormorezpdoors, depending .upon design re- .quirements. .The :doorfstake of `the` invention: is comprised of two parts, one partv being: rigidly :secured to the door and serving as'za partof. the 50 hinge support for the'rdoor on thebody, .the other part being hinged tozthe. doorzand-engaging the .nnderframe As .shown in. the .drawing the 'part rigidly -se- .cured to `the .doorcomprises vangularly shaped ;':\-55 ,.members. 9 .-arrangedin.. pairs :adj acent the ends vof theldoorfwlith one angeSavsecured -tolthe door :by means fof .bo1ts-I-0,-and iflanges 9b. extending #outwardlylfrom' the-door; the iianges 9D being =spaced-apart longitudinally of thedoor forl pur- -epose hereinafter described. Each. member 9- has-.5 l.af downwardly extending portion 29cterminating adjacent the hinge 4 land havinga suitable apert-.lture thereinvfor reception of a `hingepiniIl secnringthe extensionlSc tothe hinge4 and upon -`:Which-the"door rotates in movingV from closedwto openA position.

I'Ihe .other :portionof the door stake,4v Whichcontributes-toi Vthe support ofthedoor inclosedf posi- Ytion) and :fwhich-is pivotally. mounted upon Vthe portion `of the-'fdoor-stake rigidly securedmto` the.: tbody, @comprises spaced'v Iapart pairs of members -yl2.;disposed.vertically ofthe doorand extending downwardly beneatlrrtherhinged -to 1a bearing on .t'he silll I. lTheupper portions of the` membersIZ are connected-bythe member I3 -disposed beitweenandiconnecting the members I2 by means :of `suitableifastening.members UI.A vThe member .l I3..is oisetadjacent-the freeend .thereof and ex- 4tends-between the members-9, the' free end ofthe .member-1 I 3 having asuitable aperture therein for .reception offv the hinge. pinf I5 pivot-ally connectsing the. memberv I3 to the flanges 9b ofA the member-19. .The:bottom` portion or" the "members: I2

f rarefpreferably: connected. by means of the mem- .beri I6.

For the:purpose .of retainingthe'members I2;in rpositionf-tof' support. .the door .a suitable latch is epivotally 'mounted :between the'l members I2 on pin Il. Said vlatchis provided with a depending handle portion' I8-and a hook-shaped portion I9 .aextendingbetween xthespaced. flanges 9b of the :imen'rbersrxSl and. engaging pin..20 lwhich connects the flanges 9b. This yhandle portion' I8 may be of v:suicient Weight Cto normally move-portion I9 :.to-.z.azzposition` for automaticallyY engagingv` pin f 20 ".'whentthendoor is returned to closed position.

f-For` this .fpurposeathe router portion-10i hook I9 :mayzbe shaped .sofas to rotate thelatch to de- :press hook I9 .upon eng-agement with .pin..l20.

`After, hookv I 9; moves-beneath. the pin 2U, :during 'return' of thedoor 3. to closedposition, then/eight Aof handle I8` causes a gravitationalrotation ofthe latch to engage hook I9 With pin 20. In order to preventthe latch. fromrotating .beyond a position .facilitating the performance :of this function,`

pin. 321 is.: provided -'on member I2 to engagehook I9 .and restrict. movement of the latch in released ,-position. Whilst the handleportion I8 will normally retainthe latch in' engagement .with pin f .20; in-order toprevent...accidentaldisplacement'of 4'55 I I the latch I provide chain 2 I, having one end connected by means of bracket 22 to the car body and the other end of the chain being provided with an open ended hook 23 engaging a suitable aperture 215 in the handle i8 of the latch.

In order to prevent the members I2 from engaging the ground or other obstructions, and to prevent injury thereto when the door is opened, I provide a suitable collapsible link comprising members 25 and 25a, one end of the members 25 and 252L being pivotally connected together by means of the pin 26, the opposite end of the member 25 being pivotally connected by means of the pin 2 to the flanges 9b of the members 9 and the free end of the member 25a being pivotally connected to the members I2 by means of pin 28.

In order to prevent the door from striking side sill I of the body when the door is moved into open position and to prevent damage to the door and sill, I provide a suitable spring bung bar 29 which is secured by means of fastening members 3|! to the sill I. This member 29 depends below the sill I as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. A Suitable buing pad 3l is secured to the door 3 and engages the spring buiing bar 29 when the door is moved to open position.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, wherein the door is shown in closed and open position respectively. When the door is in closed position as shown in Fig. 2 and the latch engaged with the pin 20, the door stake members I2 engage the side sill member I to retain the door 3 in closed position. The hook 23 of the chain 2l engaging the latch handle I8 prevents accidental release of the latch from the pin 20 and thus securely holds the door in closed position. When it is desired to release the doors 3 for opening, the operator releases the hook 23 from the latch handle I8 and thereafter moves the latch handle I8 into the position shown in dot and dash lines on Fig. 2, thereby releasing the latch from the pin 20 and the door 3 is free to open by gravity. As the door moves from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, the bufng pad 3l on the door engages the spring buffer bar 29 and prevents injury to the door.

l The jointed link 25 permits limited outward movement of the members I2 away from the door and causes the members I2 to move inwardly under the side of the car and beneath the car floor 2 so that the door stake in released position does not'I at any time depend below the lower edge of the door 3 when in open position.

As illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the door stakes are preferably located adjacent each end of the door so that with an operator standing at each door stake may release the latches from the pins 2G and readily move out of the way of the opening door. Likewise with this arrangement each door, regardless of size, can be released by the operators while standing a safe distance from the door. In the latter case the operators first release the chains 2I from theihandles I8 of the latches and then by means of a hook bar or other instruments releases the latches from the pin 2f! permitting the door 3 to open by gravity.

When it is desired to move the doors from open to closed position the procedure is reversed; the door is rst moved from position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2. During this movement of the door, the members I2 will fall by gravity into position against the sill I and, if not, may be manually so moved and thereafter the latch moved to engage pin 20, thereby securing the door in closed position. The safety chain and hook may then be engaged with the latch handle I8 as shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle, in combination, a body, a door forming a side wall of the body and hinged thereto for movement into a position below the floor thereof, a locking member extending on opposite sides of the horizontal plane of said hinge, a permanent pivotal connection between the upper end of said member and the door, a bearing on a fixed portion of said vehicle for the lower end of said member, an independently movable latch for retaining said member in xed relation to said door and vehicle, a stop limiting relative movement between the member and door, and buiiing means on said vehicle engaging said door when in position below the floor of the body.

2. In a car body, in combination, a lading supporting floor, a side sill beneath one edge of the iioor, a door forming a portion of the body side Wall and hinged to said side sill for opening downwardly below the horizontal plane of said lading licor, a pair of vertically disposed spaced angle members each having one leg secured t the outer face of the door above said sill and the other leg extending outwardly from the door, a second pair of angle shaped members disposed outwardly of said iirst named pair and extending parallel thereto above and below said floor, a pivotal connection between the upper portions of said pairs of angle members, means connecting said pairs of angle members intermediate the ends thereof to limit relative movement between said pairs of angle members, a latch pivotally mounted between said second named pair of angle members and comprising a depending handle portion and an upwardly extending hook shaped portion adapted to be disposed between the first named pairs of angle members, a pin connecting the outwardly extending legs of the rst named pair of angle members and in position to be engaged by the hook extending portion of the latch to retain the pairs of angle shaped members in fixed relative position, and suitably shaped end portions on the lower ends of said pair of angles engaging the side sill to lock the door in closed position when the said latch is engaged with said pin.

3. In a car body, in combination, a lading supporting floor, a door forming a portion of the body side wall and hinged to the body below the horizontal plane of said floor for opening outwardly and downwardly below said plane, a locking member having its upper end pivoted to said door and its lower end adapted to releasably engage the body below said door hinges, collapsible means permanently engaging the locking member and door limiting relative pivotal movement between the said member and door when the door depends below the floor in open position, a keeper on said door, a latch pivoted to said locking member and provided with a depending portion at one side of said latch pivot and an upwardly extending portion at the other side thereof for engaging the door keeper, and means on said locking member limiting rotation of the latch in an unlocking direction.

4. In a vehicle body including a oor and a door hinged to the body to form a portion of the body side wall when in raised position, a mechanism for retaining said door in raised position comprising a rigid member disposed vertically of the body side wall and extending on opposite sides of the bottom edge of said door in position to engage the door and the body beneath said door, a pivotal connection between one end of the member and said door to support the member in said vertical position and upon which support the member pivots freely away from the door and body as the door is lowered to discharge lading, a latch pivotally mounted on said rigid member and having an upwardly extending hook shaped portion disposed toward said door, said latch having the preponderance of its Weight disposed on a side of its pivotal support opposite to that of said hook shaped portion, and a keeper 

